closed Chelsea 4-0 Morecambe

[Fulham Broadway 16,393]

They'll be looking to continue their Boxing day form 3-1 v Grimsby ...(unlike our 3-1 loss on B day) 

they'll be up for this

[Muzchap 8,966]

Need to be 'Wise' against Morecambe..

Shit 80s joke 

[Fulham Broadway 16,393]

4 minutes ago, Muzchap said:

Need to be 'Wise' against Morecambe..

Shit 80s joke 

Lampard ''I am playing all the right players, though not necessarily in the right order''

[Jase 43,479]

Henry Lawrence, Lewis Bate and Valentino Livramento have been training with the first team. So, they could get some game time here. Anjorin might also be in the frame to play, although we already have all our wingers back.

Given our recent run of poor form and results, suspect Lampard will go with a stronger lineup than expected on Sunday.

[bigbluewillie 1,806]

On 04/01/2021 at 4:22 PM, Muzchap said:

I think FL is safe this season no matter what. If the trigger was going to be pulled it would have been by now. Unless they are working on something for the summer.

Ole was given time, Arteta was given time. I'm not sure Tuchel is the answer. 

We just need a convincing victory and then see where the dust settles. 

I'm not convinced FL is suitable for long term like Pep and Klopp - purely because they had experience and knew what they needed to build. All FL has is ideas and no proof. 

We just need to find a system that delivers a good balance of defense and attack and remind players they can't be standing about when opponents break. They should be chasing back. We are playing as 11 individuals - I don't get the feeling we are a 'team' - not seeing players fighting for each other.

Just hope Werner plays and scores to get the monkey off his back and some confidence. When your strikers are struggling the whole team looks worse. 

Since that International break where Germany got tanked he has looked a different player. Hope to see a reversal soon.

Agree with you.

And in my opinion Roman is going to be good to his word and give Lamps the 3 years, so for the time being no matter where we finish, he will still be here next season.

So let them bleat as much as they want about get him out, it aint gonna happen.

[Tomo 21,681]

3 hours ago, bigbluewillie said:

Agree with you.

And in my opinion Roman is going to be good to his word and give Lamps the 3 years, so for the time being no matter where we finish, he will still be here next season.

So let them bleat as much as they want about get him out, it aint gonna happen.

We don't know the extent of the conversation but I very much doubt it was a blanket three year promise. He was probably told he'd get a bit of leeway but also handed minimum requirements (both in terms of league position and how the team is looking tactically) that need to be meet.

[bigbluewillie 1,806]

1 hour ago, Tomo said:

We don't know the extent of the conversation but I very much doubt it was a blanket three year promise. He was probably told he'd get a bit of leeway but also handed minimum requirements (both in terms of league position and how the team is looking tactically) that need to be meet.

You make a lot of sense, and am sure you're right.

I just have faith in Frank, and believe that he can turn things around given time, but unfortunately I am a voice in the wilderness.

[Muzchap 8,966]

6 hours ago, bigbluewillie said:

You make a lot of sense, and am sure you're right.

I just have faith in Frank, and believe that he can turn things around given time, but unfortunately I am a voice in the wilderness.

Nobody wants the fairytale more than me mate.

It is so hard to look at him during games seeing how pissed off he is. The bloke is a winner - this must be killing him inside. 

It's easy for younger fans to slate him - but the guy holds the record for consecutive appearances- he was a machine and was always 7/10 every game and left nothing on the pitch. The same as JT. We just don't have those type of players anymore, not even sure they exist...

[OneMoSalah 8,614]

4 hours ago, Muzchap said:

Nobody wants the fairytale more than me mate.

It is so hard to look at him during games seeing how pissed off he is. The bloke is a winner - this must be killing him inside. 

It's easy for younger fans to slate him - but the guy holds the record for consecutive appearances- he was a machine and was always 7/10 every game and left nothing on the pitch. The same as JT. We just don't have those type of players anymore, not even sure they exist...

He doesnt look pissed off in games or look to change things though when hes being out done tactically by virtually every manager we come up against particularly in the last 6 or 7 games at least.

Serial winner or not, pissed off after games or not, he simply doesn't do enough during the game to try turn the tide. Be it a sub. Be it tactical. Be it berating someone or getting the boys to take it up a notch. Nothing. Just sits with his arms folded doing fuck all but looking like he wants the ground to swallow him up. Looks like he lacks passion at times on the sidelines, particularly when things are going bad, no passion, no angry streak, nothing. Its rubbing off on the players too clearly because they look exactly the same. Jose hit the nail on the head about Frank after the Spurs game. Everyone probably sees it more now than ever. 

[Muzchap 8,966]

2 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

He doesnt look pissed off in games or look to change things though when hes being out done tactically by virtually every manager we come up against particularly in the last 6 or 7 games at least.

Serial winner or not, pissed off after games or not, he simply doesn't do enough during the game to try turn the tide. Be it a sub. Be it tactical. Be it berating someone or getting the boys to take it up a notch. Nothing. Just sits with his arms folded doing fuck all but looking like he wants the ground to swallow him up. Looks like he lacks passion at times on the sidelines, particularly when things are going bad, no passion, no angry streak, nothing. Its rubbing off on the players too clearly because they look exactly the same. Jose hit the nail on the head about Frank after the Spurs game. Everyone probably sees it more now than ever. 

He looks sad to me. You can see it in his eyes. He might not be jumping up and down - but you can see it. 

[OneMoSalah 8,614]

10 hours ago, Muzchap said:

He looks sad to me. You can see it in his eyes. He might not be jumping up and down - but you can see it. 

Football managament isn’t the place to feel sad or sorry for yourself. Its higher pressure than playing I would imagine, its about more than one person, he has to step up or get off its as simple as that. 

[killer1257 3,282]

Soonsup bell is training with the first team currently

Gesendet von meinem VOG-L29 mit Tapatalk

[Muzchap 8,966]

2 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

Football managament isn’t the place to feel sad or sorry for yourself. Its higher pressure than playing I would imagine, its about more than one person, he has to step up or get off its as simple as that. 

But this season is hardly a yardstick. Every team is struggling for consistency- look at Liverpool.

I just don't know - I'm still 50/50 - I'm not sure a new manager this season will improve anything.

Let's see where we stand after Morecambe...

[MoroccanBlue 5,199]

Kepa

Livramento---Tomori---Rudiger---Emerson

Jorginho---Gilmour

CHO----------Havertz---------Anjorin

Tammy

[OneMoSalah 8,614]

5 hours ago, Muzchap said:

But this season is hardly a yardstick. Every team is struggling for consistency- look at Liverpool.

I just don't know - I'm still 50/50 - I'm not sure a new manager this season will improve anything.

Let's see where we stand after Morecambe...

I think its getting to the point where its much much worse than it was last season after Christmas. I wasn’t convinced with the last half of last season but thought some new players maybe would help him out as the GK and defence was an issue. It got better marginally but again once we stopped scoring from crosses and started conceding, back to how it was. You cannot say this style of football or sitting where we are after buying these level of players is acceptable. You cant. 

We have new players, yes their new but they are so much better than what we had last season and the guys like Mendy, Thiago Silva, Chilwell, Ziyech, even Werner are all more than experienced enough at good levels in other leagues, be it domestically or in Europe, to come in and hit the ground running in a decent set up or at least manage to bring something different to the team through individual qualities. 

People would of said if it were Maurizio Sarri or Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho that the way we limped to 4th place last season even with the squad which was more than decent enough, was bad. I get the give him time but cmon, 18 months in now, £200+ million spent... no progress, no identity, still trying to ram crosses in from the fullbacks with no real interplay or cutting edge in the middle of the pitch or major outputs from other attacking areas with players like Ziyech, Pulisic, Havertz, Werner, Mount, Kovacic, Hudson-Odoi... is that really enough to consider sticking with him? The footballs clearly gone backwards, teams have figured have us out, majority of our play comes from the fullbacks. If a new manager couldn’t come in and improve this team then wow, we are only going to keep going backwards even more. May as well sell the squad off if thats the case and get 25 new players. Or more likely, is it the manager that needs to go?

Personally think sticking with him is looking more and more like its going to derail the season even more and I dont think winning at Morecambe is exactly going to make people say ‘oh yeah he’s up to the job and things will get better’. You would expect most managers whatever their level or class to somehow put a team out from this group of players and not only win there but win comprehensively, even if it sounds arrogant.

This season is not a yard stick no but any other manager and this league position, this run and particularly this style of play wouldn’t be accepted. The football was better (much better at times) under Sarri yet he was basically hounded out of the club by fans because they thought it was boring or whatever. I wonder how many are sitting there now saying give Frank time when in all realism its much worse. This squad is arguably much better as well than the one that season bar the fact we had Eden Hazard but we have more attacking quality now than we did then in terms if personnel. Aye City and Liverpool may be struggling but their in the top 4 and can turn it on whenever they want because they have got managers who have seen things aren’t working and changed it up or have clearly rattled them. City blew us away and then beat United comfortably. We cannot turn it on for more than 10 minutes in a game. Franks nature on the sideline is near embarrassing, he sits with his arms folded as if he is waiting for someone to put him out of his misery. When we are winning he is more vocal. When we lose he sits there. Doing nothing. No innovative tweaks to systems, his subs are normally late or predictable. His system is always the same. Not flexible. Not experienced or successful enough to say his way works either. If he is still here by the end of January/start of Feb, honestly think top 4 will likely not happen barring a minor miracle. He looks as if hes going through the motions and so do the players quite clearly following on from him. 

[Muzchap 8,966]

5 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

I think its getting to the point where its much much worse than it was last season after Christmas. I wasn’t convinced with the last half of last season but thought some new players maybe would help him out as the GK and defence was an issue. It got better marginally but again once we stopped scoring from crosses and started conceding, back to how it was. You cannot say this style of football or sitting where we are after buying these level of players is acceptable. You cant. 

We have new players, yes their new but they are so much better than what we had last season and the guys like Mendy, Thiago Silva, Chilwell, Ziyech, even Werner are all more than experienced enough at good levels in other leagues, be it domestically or in Europe, to come in and hit the ground running in a decent set up or at least manage to bring something different to the team through individual qualities. 

People would of said if it were Maurizio Sarri or Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho that the way we limped to 4th place last season even with the squad which was more than decent enough, was bad. I get the give him time but cmon, 18 months in now, £200+ million spent... no progress, no identity, still trying to ram crosses in from the fullbacks with no real interplay or cutting edge in the middle of the pitch or major outputs from other attacking areas with players like Ziyech, Pulisic, Havertz, Werner, Mount, Kovacic, Hudson-Odoi... is that really enough to consider sticking with him? The footballs clearly gone backwards, teams have figured have us out, majority of our play comes from the fullbacks. If a new manager couldn’t come in and improve this team then wow, we are only going to keep going backwards even more. May as well sell the squad off if thats the case and get 25 new players. Or more likely, is it the manager that needs to go?

Personally think sticking with him is looking more and more like its going to derail the season even more and I dont think winning at Morecambe is exactly going to make people say ‘oh yeah he’s up to the job and things will get better’. You would expect most managers whatever their level or class to somehow put a team out from this group of players and not only win there but win comprehensively, even if it sounds arrogant.

This season is not a yard stick no but any other manager and this league position, this run and particularly this style of play wouldn’t be accepted. The football was better (much better at times) under Sarri yet he was basically hounded out of the club by fans because they thought it was boring or whatever. I wonder how many are sitting there now saying give Frank time when in all realism its much worse. This squad is arguably much better as well than the one that season bar the fact we had Eden Hazard but we have more attacking quality now than we did then in terms if personnel. Aye City and Liverpool may be struggling but their in the top 4 and can turn it on whenever they want because they have got managers who have seen things aren’t working and changed it up or have clearly rattled them. City blew us away and then beat United comfortably. We cannot turn it on for more than 10 minutes in a game. Franks nature on the sideline is near embarrassing, he sits with his arms folded as if he is waiting for someone to put him out of his misery. When we are winning he is more vocal. When we lose he sits there. Doing nothing. No innovative tweaks to systems, his subs are normally late or predictable. His system is always the same. Not flexible. Not experienced or successful enough to say his way works either. If he is still here by the end of January/start of Feb, honestly think top 4 will likely not happen barring a minor miracle. He looks as if hes going through the motions and so do the players quite clearly following on from him. 

I can't disagree - but I'm an eternal optimist! 👍

Jimmy Greaves used to say "Football, it's a funny old game" - I grew up watching Saint & Greavsie as a kid.

He is absolutely correct, that's the beauty of football - you never know what's coming next.* 

*Unless of course we are leading 1-0 for quite some time and then we all know 1-1 is coming, even my eternal optimism takes a good kicking in those matches 🤣

[Blue Armour 4,165]

I would rest Mount/Kante/Pulisic for this game, and play Havertz & Ziyech because they both need to get more match fitness. I would also play Werner, because he needs to regain confidence in front of goal, and this might be his best chance to do so.

Also a chance for Frank to try something different from his beaten down 4-3-3. Go for something like this:

 

If he doesn't start with Werner, I hope he at least comes on as an early sub. Pulisic/Giroud/Anjorin could also come on as subs. If Frank is feeling bold, he could also experiment with playing 2 recognized strikers up top.